


Nimble Soles - A Sole of Lead

by DC_Derringer



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Foot Appreciation - Not Foot Fetish, M/M, Merlin is Alive, Multi, Post-TGC, mild descriptions of sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-10
Packaged: 2019-01-10 22:35:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12309270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DC_Derringer/pseuds/DC_Derringer
Summary: It is not a foot fetish, Merlin insists. But after losing his legs in the fight with the Golden Circle, he has an unquenchable obsession with Harry and Eggsy's feet.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Canon? What canon? I'm ignoring a lot of aspects of The Golden Circle, and don't ask exactly when Harry, Eggsy, and Merlin got together. It's not important. Just focus on Merlin being adorable about Harry and Eggsy's feet.
> 
> The title is inspired from a line in Romeo and Juliet.

It started with Harry’s feet. That was natural enough. Merlin had been with him for years and years. The occasional foot rub hadn’t been absent in all that time, in either direction, but it hadn’t really been a thing before, not something that stirred constantly in Merlin’s mind and left him distracted if Harry was socked, or heaven forbid, barefoot in front of him. Imagine being distracted by someone’s feet.

And then Eggsy had trounced in with his high arches and occasional pedicure with Roxy. He had objectively beautiful feet, well taken care of with scrubs and lotions to avoid blisters from practicing his gymnastics and free-running. Eggsy was notoriously barefoot around the house at the slightest increase in temperature, and if not bare, then in socks with egregious holes in them that he refused to darn.

Merlin wasn’t stupid though. He knew what this was. Not quite a foot fetish. He gratefully wasn’t getting a stiffy at the sight of his lovers’ feet. That would be mortifying. But it was certainly an over compensation, some sort of coping mechanism after he lost his own legs in the fight with the Golden Circle. Now, of course, he had splendid robotic legs, smooth and shiny, and with his trousers and socks on, no one could tell the difference. There had been adjustments, of course, but Statemen’s R&D team had some delightfully creative members. He’d had to turn down some of their more outlandish ideas, such as the leg bazooka. He was firmly finished with field work, thank you very much, no matter how much the newly instated agent Whiskey went on about her own missions.

The question was, what to do about it. He dreaded the sympathetic puppy eyes Eggsy would give him if he asked to give him a pedicure and kiss the beautiful arch of his feet. Nor the endless teasing to see a therapist about what Harry would insist on calling a foot fetish if he got up the nerve to offer Harry a foot rub and fall into slavish, loving attention of his lower extremities.

Perhaps a visit to the therapist was due, to ask, how does he stop obsessing over Harry and Eggsy’s feet as a way of coping for the loss of his own? How does he explain, believably, to them that he is not jealous or angry at them for their own blessing? How not to make it remind them of their guilt for his sacrifice? He just wanted to touch their goddamnded feet. It shouldn’t be that difficult.

That night, he was going to do it.

~

Merlin might have tweaked things in his favor to get what he wanted. First, encouraging Harry to work out at the end of the day. He wouldn’t bother showering at the Kingsman offices, but head straight home to shower, and them likely slip into his pajamas for the evening. That led to the second part, turning up the thermostat. No slippers for Harry, and Eggsy would kick off his shoes and socks in no time once he got home. Merlin debated revealing his own legs. Would it be a constant reminder, or a go-ahead sign? He’d risk it and took off the socks that covered his cybernetic legs when he got home. Most of their house was carpeted, so he wouldn’t click around and draw attention to the fact.

Harry was making dinner, swishing about in his dressing gown, and barefoot after his shower as Merlin had expected. Eggsy, on the other hand, was acting against type and lounging on the couch still in his socks, even though Merlin had ticked the thermostat up to the point where even he was getting uncomfortable. Still, there was Eggsy, sprawled out on the couch, watching videos on his phone to unwind after a day in the office. Well, Merlin could work with that.

He sat on the other end of the couch, where Eggsy’s feet were. Eggsy tucked his feet in obligingly, but once Merlin was settled, he grabbed Eggsy’s feet and put them in his lap.

“Cheers, guv,” Eggsy said and stretched his feet out luxuriously. Merlin reveled in it. And then he saw his in. As Eggsy wiggled his toes in his prim white socks, there was a flash of flesh. Those glorious holes were what would fix this. Without a second thought, Merlin tugged Eggsy’s socks off, revealing his beautiful bare feet. 

“These are going in the bin,” Merlin said resolutely as Eggsy stared at him in confusion.

“What for? They’re fine.”

“They’re an embarrassment to Kingsman, and to you as a fully-grown adult. If you can’t mend your socks, then I’m sorry, but I will have to get rid of them.”

“Now my feet are cold,” Eggsy whined and tucked his feet under Merlin’s thigh. That wouldn’t do. He couldn’t see them there.

“Don’t be absurd,” Merlin said, tugging Eggsy’s feet out and placing them in his lap again. There. Perfect. “It’s downright stuffy in here.”

“How about a foot rub then, to console me over my lost socks?” Eggsy asked, batting his lashes. Merlin hoped his feigned put out look served him as he sighed and hesitated before he laid his hands on Eggsy’s feet and started to rub. Eggsy murmured with delight, putting his phone aside to pay full attention to his pampering. Merlin tried not to look as blissed out as he did while he rubbed at Eggsy’s ridiculously soft feet. His feet were well exfoliated and moisturized. Merlin had seen him in the shower with his pumice stone, and after with his lotions. It was a process, but one which he appreciated now. Harry took passing good care of his feet, but not like this. He did notice however that Eggsy’s nails were getting a little long. He’s probably go get a pedicure with Roxy soon. Trimmed and massaged, sometimes with clear polish, once, many months ago, with a pale blue polish, just for fun. Merlin wished he had a picture of it.

“Dinner’s about ready… Oh, is there a queue for that?” Harry asked from the doorway to the living room, smiling at the sight of Merlin rubbing a decadently laid out Eggsy on their couch.

“Get your own,” Eggsy said.

“Excuse me, I had him first,” Harry said with false affront. “Get _your_ own.”

“I’m not a foot rubbing machine,” Merlin said, cautious in his words. He couldn’t sound too offended with this bounty, but not too eager either. He was playing a more dangerous game then he’d thought.

“After dinner then,” Harry said magnanimously. “Which is ready by the way. Come set the table.”

Eggsy whined with complaint as he got up from the couch, and Merlin let out a false sigh of relief. But his fingers tingled with memory at the touch of Eggsy’s feet, and then there was the promise of Harry’s feet after dinner, under his hands and free to touch and enjoy as he liked. Perhaps not as lavishly as he liked, but this would do for now. He mustn’t be too greedy.


	2. Chapter 2

“Just a little more. You can take it,” Merlin grunted, pressing harder against Harry, working up his own sweat and dripping against Harry’s chest. Harry groaned beneath him, his legs spread with Merlin between them. One more push, and Harry let out a satisfied groan as his hip joint popped and his whole body relaxed. Merlin let up, leaning back on the practice mats and pulling Harry forward into a sitting position, almost in his lap. Merlin held onto Harry’s legs, cradling his well-rounded calves in his hands and rubbing them gently. All for the sake of physical therapy of course. He’d always loved Harry’s legs, which went on for miles and wrapped around him so easily. Now, more so than ever did he run his hands up and down the strong, slim length of him.

“I don’t see why you insist on these recalibrating exercises,” Harry panted, stretching his legs into Merlin’s more delicate and comforting hands. “I did just fine on my last mission.”

“You were hit in the head with a frying pan and Elton John saved you from a robotic dog,” Merlin said. “Let’s do the other leg now.”

“You’re welcome for those tickets by the way,” Harry grumbled as he rolled onto his back again and Merlin hoisted up his other leg to press it into his chest to stretch his hips and recalibrate his balance.

“Oh, you mean the _two_ tickets you got for you and Eggsy because you assumed I was dead?” Merlin asked, pushing against Harry’s calf and taking small pleasure as he groaned from the strain. 

“I let you go with Eggsy,” Harry said breathlessly and then groaned with relief as his other joint popped and Merlin let him up again, then whimpered as Merlin massaged his other calf gently. 

“You did. Thank you,” Merlin said, and kissed Harry’s calf as an apology, while secretly wishing he could linger longer and worship Harry’s legs like they deserved. How he dreamed of taking Harry into the bath and wrapping his legs around his waist to slowly and luxuriously wipe him down with a flannel, and then maybe afterwards, rub and massage those legs with hot oils, making his skin soft and smooth to the touch. It was a nice dream. 

“Good work,” Merlin said as he reluctantly let go of Harry’s leg and helped him back to his feet. “Get on the treadmill then you can hit the showers.”

“I deserve a nice dinner after this,” Harry said as he headed to the treadmill.

“Yes, I think your dietician said steamed vegetables and chicken, with brown rice.”

“So, chicken cordon bleu at our favorite French restaurant?”

“I’ll get us a table for three,” Merlin said.

~

Sex was the easiest. All those naked expanses of flesh and so easy to grab or hold or touch how Merlin pleased. In the beginning, there had been some tentative touches around his own metal prosthetics, some extra caution, especially where flesh touched metal. It had been jarring enough for him to get used to the contrast, and even more so for Harry and Eggsy. Though each in different ways. Harry had been distrustful of the technology. He’d been offered a bionic eye of his own and turned it down in favor of his shaded glasses with the expanded heads up in the right lens. Eggsy was the opposite and keenly interested in Merlin’s prosthetic, but too shy to admit it, afraid to draw unwanted attention to it. But they each found their way to it. Harry tentative, and Eggsy barely held back so that being in bed was almost like it had been before, though maybe with Merlin getting a bit more handsy with feet and legs, but no one seemed to notice.

Between Eggsy’s thighs, with his legs thrown over Merlin’s shoulder he could caress and touch as much as he liked. He could even get away with a few tastes, kisses and bites to leave marks on Eggsy’s legs. When undressing Harry, he could tease his trousers off, slowly down the full length of his legs, touching every inch of him. Then he could stay between Harry’s legs, hands gripping his knees while he used his mouth. 

There could be more, of course. To lavish attention openly, with everyone in the know, but this was enough, Merlin told himself. His little obsession could be fed just fine with his stolen touches, and neither of them had to worry about his fixation. No worried looks, or misunderstandings. Everything could move forward smoothly from then on.

~

Everything moved smoothly for a few weeks, and then Eggsy and Harry came home one night just before dinner, with Harry leaning heavily against Eggsy’s shoulder, groaning with his pain, and with a quick, cautious eye, Merlin noticed his foot swollen well beyond the constraints of his trainers.

“What the hell happened?” Merlin asked as he got under Harry’s other arm and led them both to the couch where Harry settled down.

“I was showing Harry some free running stunts, and well… he rolled his ankle a bit on a dismount,” Eggsy said. He was on his knees, untying Harry’s shoes, but Merlin butted him out of the way with orders to get ice, a bandage, and painkillers.

“I hear it’s a badge of honor,” Harry said, hissing as Merlin took off his shoe and prodded at his swollen ankle. 

“Or idiotic,” Merlin growled. “You’re out of the field again, until this heals.”

“I’ll be right as rain in a week,” Harry said, then yelped as Merlin rotated his ankle to see how bad the sprain was. “Well, maybe two…” he hedged.

Merlin glared at him and then turned his glare at Eggsy too when he returned with supplies. Eggsy handed them off and shrunk out of reach to Harry’s other side. Merlin carefully, but methodically wrapped Harry’s foot in the bandage to compress the swelling and immobilize his ankle. Then, he set the ice pack on his ankle and put Eggsy in charge of taking it off and on in 20 minute rotations. Then he offered Harry painkillers – The good ones.

“Paracetemol will do fine. I don’t need those,” Harry said stiffly.

“You are going to take these, elevate your foot, and get some rest, or so help me, I’ll send you to medical.”

Harry recalled his last, and every other visit to Kingsman medical, and the notorious nurses there who he insisted Did Not Like Him, and obediently took the painkillers, gulping them down with water and settling down on the couch as Merlin propped a pillow under his foot. It only took a few minutes, but soon, Harry was dozing. Eggsy diligently watched the clock to time the icing, but also keeping an eye on Merlin as he slumped in his chair, eyes fastened on Harry’s foot.

“Sure we shouldn’t take him to medical anyway?” Eggsy asked.

“I’ve treated plenty of sprains before,” Merlin said, sounding tired, but sure. “They won’t suggest anything else.”

Eggsy was quiet a moment, considering. “Yeah I guess. Just… He fell pretty hard. Could be a fracture or something, couldn’t it?”

“You said he rolled it,” Merlin said, suddenly more alert. “Did it roll, or did he fall on it?”

“It’s happened really fast,” Eggsy said. “I _think_ he just rolled it…”

Merlin looked critically at Harry’s foot, his worry visibly increasing. “Was he able to move it? Could he bear any weight on it?”

Eggsy widened his eyes at the flurry of questions. “Well, I got it on video actually, if you wanna…” 

Eggsy had barely reached into his pocket before Merlin snatched the phone out of his hands and flicked through to find the latest videos. He saw one with a capture of Harry and hit play, watching intently. There Harry was, sailing over fences, running along walls, with Eggsy in the background, cheering him on, and then he shorted a jump off a railing, and botched his landing. But Merlin watched with relief as Harry’s Kingsman training kicked in, he rolled his whole body into the twist in his foot, decreasing the impact. He could see the foot bend at an odd angle, but not hard, and not for long. Harry stood up immediately, cursing colorfully as he often did, and limping around a bit, while Eggsy laughed at his foolishness. The video cut short, omitting how his foot must have started to ache more and swell up over time, until he had to lean on Eggsy to get home. Merlin sighed with relief. Just a sprain after all.

“Sooo…” Eggsy hedged. “What’s up with me and Harry’s feet? You didn’t get this worked up when we thought my jaw was broken last month.”

“Your jaw wasn’t broken,” Merlin said quickly.

“Yeah, didn’t know that till after the x-rays though. Still kept your cool the whole time. But then there’s all the foot rubs, which I don’t mind by the way, and then there’s hickeys on my ankles. Hickeys on the ankle Merlin. How do you explain that to people?”

“You stick your feet in my face, what am I supposed to do?”

“I dunno, you don’t _always_ have to have me on my back with my legs over your shoulders. So what is this? Some kind of foot fetish? You want me to put my feet in your lap, and you know?”

Eggsy stretched his legs into Merlin’s lap where he still sat in his chair, getting the ball of his foot into Merlin’s groin and rubbing gently there. Merlin flushed hot with embarrassment and pushed Eggsy’s foot away, though he didn’t let go of it.

“I don’t have a foot fetish,” he grumbled. This is exactly what he wanted to avoid.

“You sure? I got bite marks on my leg that say different,” Eggsy said with a cheeky smile, turning his leg in Merlin’s lap to show off said bite marks. “I don’t mind it. Whatever floats your boat guv. How about we do reverse cowboy some time? Then I can bounce on your dick and you can fondle my feet or whatever while I do it.”

Merlin opened his mouth to deny that immediately, but the image did pop into his mind and required a moment’s consideration. “No,” he said after thinking. “Watching that sweet arse bouncing away would be enough. I promise, it’s not a fetish. I’m not getting any kicks out of this. It’s… appreciation.”

Eggsy considered his answer with a look of doubt on his face. “This about your legs?” he finally asked, looking at Merlin’s legs, the chrome peeking out at the bottom of his trouser leg where his socks had slipped down a little bit.

“Yes,” Merlin said, finding it easier to admit now that the conversation had started, as much as he’d dreaded it. Eggsy was giving him just a bit of puppy eyes, but not as bad as he’d thought.

“So it ain’t s fetish, but like, you’re always staring and touching our feet and legs. Is that what you want?”

Merlin kept his face neutral. Looking and touching was fine. It was all he needed. He didn’t need to drag Harry and Eggsy into his weird obsession. He didn’t need to make it a thing. Except, damn Eggsy and his eyes, offering so much. He had to consider how readily Eggsy had offered him a foot job, in an instant. What he wanted couldn’t be worse than that.

“No,” he said slowly, licked his lips to gather his words. “I’d like you to cancel your pedicure appointment with Roxy this week and let me do it.”

That got Eggsy’s eyebrows up a bit. Mild surprise, but nothing too alarming. “You wanna, like, cut my toenails? And scrub dead skin off my feet? Rub hot oils on my calves? All that?”

“Yes,” Merlin said, feeling relief that he’d at least got the words out. And Eggsy wasn’t yelling at him, or laughing. That would be the worst.

“I’ll queue for that too…” Harry mumbled, drowsy and half asleep.

“Have you been awake this whole time?” Merlin asked.

“No,” Harry said, eyes still closed. “Came in when Eggsy offered a foot job. I’m not rubbing you off with my feet, by the way.”

“No, no, he wants to rub our feet, Harry,” Eggsy said cheerfully.

“Good… got dreadful calluses on my heels…” Harry said, puffing out breath and likely drifting off again.

“Hey, we could daisy chain it,” Eggsy said brightly. “You do Harry’s feet, he massages mine, and then I can buff up your legs for you,” Eggsy said, smiling shyly, and Merlin raised his own eyebrows in surprise. Another little obsession hidden away then.

“Does someone have a robot fetish?” Merlin asked, teasing.

“Cyborg fetish,” Eggsy said huffily, annunciating the word primly. “Still pissed Harry wouldn’t get that bionic eye. But guess we need to find some little obsession of his to cater to, huh?”

“I’m sure he’ll think of something once he knows we’ll let him get away with it,” Merlin said, looking over Harry fondly, dozing again, with his foot swollen and propped up. Harry would be a considerable annoyance until his ankle healed, but Merlin wouldn’t mind tending to it one bit, now that he wouldn’t have to hide it.

~

Epilogue

Many, many years ago, Merlin and Harry had opted for a great big soaker tub. Most of the time, it had been Harry swanning about in there, soaking sore muscles and aching joints after his missions. Occasionally, when they’d both needed the attention, they’d slipped in together. It was snug, but they fit. Three however, was pushing it. 

“You sure they aren’t going to rust?” Eggsy asked, again, once they’d all found relatively comfortable spots in the tub. Merlin idly wondered if they could get a smaller vanity and finally commit to a jacuzzi. They’d already gotten a larger couch anyway.

“I am sure. But if they do, you can oil me up,” Merlin said. Eggsy’s eyes lit up at that. Now that their little obsessions were all in the open, Merlin would rub Eggsy’s feet while he would buff and clean Merlin’s prosthetics. Merlin had also caught him in R&D studying the diagnostics and maintenance for his legs. Well, he’d definitely encourage that. Maybe he’d buy Eggsy a little tool kit for Christmas.

“Who knew a little stone could do such wonders?” Harry mused. He had Eggsy’s pumice stone in hand, and since his ankle had healed, had been vigorously working on his callused heels. Merlin found it satisfying even just watching Harry tend to his feet, though he did like to inspect himself, checking for rough edges, or spots that were too tender. He had hidden all the lotions though because that was His Job now, and even watching Harry or Eggsy lotion each other’s feet was not quite right. He wanted to do it himself. 

“Do you want a touch up tonight?” Merlin asked, tugging one of Eggsy’s feet out of the water to inspect the nail polish. He’d done a coppery brown last, to welcome the coming fall, but it was chipping a bit. He had to admit he wasn’t as good as the professionals. Couldn’t get the polish to stay on somehow, but Eggsy’s didn’t seem to mind, and he had plenty of time to practice.

“Yeah. And you maybe wanna darn some socks for me?” Eggsy asked, batting his lashes.

“I’m obsessed with your knee to your toes, not the clothes you put on them,” Merlin said. “I’d rather you went barefoot.” 

“But my feet will get cold!”

“I’ll keep them warm,” Merlin said, clutching Eggsy’s foot close and kissing the top arch, letting his lips linger there, because now he could. 

“I’ll darn your socks, Eggsy,” Harry offered, then added when Merlin glared at him. “Look, if you won’t traipse around the house naked for me, I don’t see why Eggsy should have to traipse around barefooted for you.”

“Hey, if you turn the thermostat up, I’ll traipse around all kinds of bare for both of you,” Eggsy offered. 

Harry and Merlin looked at each other and nodded. Merlin made a mental note, renovate the bathroom, maintenance for the furnace, and thicker curtains. And he checked off finding a little obsession for Harry as well. Now he could keep everyone happy.


End file.
